Insole



(No Model.)

F. HAAG. INSOLE.

No. 424,195. Patented Mar. 25, 1890.

N. PETERS. Plmwuxhugmpnar, wnmngm., n c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FERDINAND HAAG,`OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

INSOLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters APatent No. 424,195, dated March 25, 1890.

Application tiled August 16, 1889. Serial No. 320,964. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND HAAG, of the city of Rochester, county of Monroe, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Insoles; and I do hereby declare the following to beafull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to letters of reference marked thereon.

My present invention has for its object to improve the construction of insoles for boots `and shoes, whereby they will not only facilitate the operation of lasting the shoe, permitting the use of cement instead of lasting tacks, as heretofore employed, but also rendering the shoe water-proof, effectually preventing Inoisture in the outer sole from reaching the foot of the wearer.

It has, further, for its object to provide an insole that can be made cheaply and which will possess sufficient flexibility at the sole portion to permit its use on the lightest of womens shoes, and also a sufficient strength at the heel portion to permit the use of tacks in the operation of lasting, if desired, and as it is strengthened longitudinally and laterally in the shank not only obviates the necessity of employing a wood or steel shank-stiffener, but also permits a smaller and more flex'- ible counter to be employed.

To these ends the invention consists in a certain improved insole, hereinafter described, the novel features being pointed out-in the claims atthe end of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side view of -an insole constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a bottom plan view of the same; Fig. 8, a crosssectional `view on line a: of Fig. 2. Figs, a and 5 longitudinal sec! tional views of modifications.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate similar partsA In the preferred form of insoles shown in Figs. l to 3 the inside or main portion A is composed of a piece of suitable leather with its forward portion skived off thin, the reduced part extending from about the shank to the toe, as shown, thereby rendering it iiexible and easy to the foot. To the lower or outer side, of this sole A, I secure a thin covering h, of felt or similar material, preferably saturated with rubber cement, and also preferably extending the whole length of the sole. This felt covering is cemented securely to a sole A, and, being water-proof, eifectually prevents moisture from soaking into the sole A from the outer sole. Upon the outer side of the shank of the insole thus formed, and preferably extending from near' the middle of the heel to the inner end of the forward or sole portion is cemented a reenforced or stiflener piece C, of relatively stiff leather, preferably slightly rounded on its outer side and skived off at the ends, as shown, which for womens light shoes is suflieiently stiff for all purposes and obviates t-he necessity of employing the wooden or steel shank-stiffeners sometimes employed. This re-enforce or stiffener, being cemented to the insole itself, not only facilitates the manufacture of the shoe, but, forming part of it, braces said insole laterally and permits the employment of a lower and less stiff counter than is at present required where the insoles are very thin and afford practically no lateral support to the counter, which latter has to be made very stiff, oftentimes rendering a shoe very uncomfortable to thewcarer.

By extending the felt covering over the whole of the outer surface of the insole a rough surface is secured, to which the edges of the upper or vamp can be more readily and firmly cemented in the operation of lastn ing than where leather insoles alone are employed.

By making the heel portion of the insole stiffer or of heavier material than the toe not only is greater flexibility secured the latter, but if desired to employ nails at the heel they are not so liable to tear out as when a uniformly thin insole is employed. In some instances I prefer to form the insole of two pieces of leather A A2, as in Fig. 4, having their proximate ends skived off, as at a, and cemented together, and the forward portion A being (either previous or subsequent to being secured together) skived off thinner than A2, as shown. This portion is then covered with a piece of felt B, in a manner similar to the first-described portion A, and a stiffener C cemented to it, as before, thereby IOO 'requiring more operations to form it.

making an insole possessing the advantages ascribed to the rst-mentioned one, though Still this is sometimes advantageous, as it enables me to utilize pieces of leather that otherwise would be wasted, and for most purposes the inner portion of the ysole thus formed may be deemed the equivalent of the one first described, inasmuch as even when made of two pieces of material cemented together and the forward one afterward skived off thin it is practically a single piece. In this construction the stiffener C performs the same functions as before.

In Fig. 5 is shown another modification in,

which the sole A is skived off or made thinner on both faces of the sole portion, the lower or outer face being left with a short iiap la, and in this instance instead of placing the felt covering B over the whole of the face I place it over the sole or forward part only,

cement it in place, cement the short Iiapb felt covering for the insole altogether and secure the advantages of the shank-stiftener by cementing the latter directly to one side of the insole shown, which is preferred for obvious reasons; but it may be used in connection with an insole of any approved construction.

Other advantages than those mentioned, as wellasmodifications,willpresentthemselvesto those skilled in the art, and I do not therefore desire to be confined to the precise construction shown.

I' claim as my inventiond 1. In an insole, the combination, with the inner leather portion thinner at the toe than heel and the outer covering of felt saturated with rubber and cemented to it, of the shankstiffener secured to the outer portion of Said insole, substantially as described.

2. In an insole, the combination, with the inner leather portion consisting of two parts secured together, the sole being thinner than the heel portion, of a covering ot' felt saturated with rubber, extending over the whole outer surface, and the shankstiffener secured to the insole and connecting the sole and heel parts, substantially as described.

FERDINAND HAAG.

Witnesses:

FRED F. CHURCH, S. E. TRUE. 

